Vessel
by wolfraven80
Summary: On the edge of the final battle with Rhea, Byleth must confront the truth of what she is. [f!BylethxEdelgard] [Black Eagle route spoilers]


**Vessel**

Byleth was not altogether surprised when she spotted Edelgard standing on the fishing pool's dock late that night. Without her crown, her long hair cascaded down her back, flowing silver in the moonlight. She was dressed in a simple tunic with a crimson cloak to ward off the night's chill. Without her emperor's regalia, she looked almost like the seventeen-year-old she'd been when they'd first known each other as student and professor.

For a moment Byleth could do nothing but stare, drinking in the delicate features made pale by the moon's caresses. _She's magnificent._

One of the monastery cats, a sleek black tom affectionately known as Hubie since he was prone to hissing at all except Edelgard, was weaving between her ankles. As she crouched to pet the ornery cat she noticed Byleth at the pond's edge. Her lips curved into a smile and Byleth moved to join her. Hubie gave an annoyed yowl and, raising his tail high in the air, strode back up the dock.

"Good evening, my teacher. Has sleep eluded you as well tonight?"

"I slept for a while and woke up. To be frank, after that five year nap I'm a bit wary of sleeping for long stretches."

"Do try not to oversleep again. We need you." Edelgard's gaze met hers and Byleth found herself lost in those violet eyes. They were the same shade as the stones in the ring her father had given her. She had a wild urge to pull the ring from her pocket and present it to Edelgard then and there. _Patience_, she told herself. Just as with battle, matters of the heart required proper time and care and she knew right now, on the brink of victory, they could not afford distractions.

So instead, she gave Edelgard's hand a squeeze. "Sit with me," she said and sat down on the end of the dock, her boots dangling over the water's surface.

Edelgard did, settling herself next to Byleth. And because Byleth was feeling daring, she rested her arm around Edelgard's shoulders and pulled her closer. And the Emperor of Adrestia obligingly rested her head on Byleth's shoulder.

For a while they sat there in silence, with only the faint lapping of water around the dock and the occasional splash of a fish breaking the surface. Byleth had just begun to wonder if Edelgard had dozed off when she spoke. "Do you remember the last time we were here?"

"Here? On the dock?" Byleth's brow furrowed. "No, I–Oh." And then it dawned on her.

**ooo**

It had been back when she had been the Black Eagles' professor, midway through the school year. She had been fishing one evening, catching the last rays of sunlight, when the creak of the dock's boards behind her had signalled Edelgard's approach. "Well this is a surprise," Byleth said. "I didn't think fishing was one of your hobbies."

"It isn't," Edelgard replied curtly. Byleth cast her a sidelong glance and found her brow creased and her lips thinned to a line.

Byleth set her fishing rod aside. "Is something the matter?"

Edelgard took a deep breath. "My teacher," she began slowly, "you know I have the utmost faith in your abilities and the soundness of your judgment."

"Oh dear," Byleth said, eyebrows raised. "This can't be good if you feel you have to preface it with that."

"Professor..." Edelgard heaved a sigh. "It's simply that I don't see the wisdom of adding that... philanderer to our class."

That earned a chuckle from Byleth. "Ah and here I thought it was something truly worrisome." Though she did pause for a moment, frowning. "Sylvain hasn't bothered you, has he? I made it clear to him that if he wanted to stay he had to curb his enthusiasm for his classmates."

Edelgard shook her head. "No, he hasn't. Or at least not recently. I made it very clear at the start of the academic year that he should find his amusements elsewhere."

Byleth's nose wrinkled at the unpleasant tableau that must have been–Edelgard at her most imperious and Sylvain all smiles and charm. He was lucky Edelgard hadn't torn him to shreds and had Hubert mop up the pieces. "I'm aware–well, we're _all_ aware of his skirt chasing. But I think you may find him a useful ally for other reasons."

"Are you referring to the incident with his brother?" Edelgard shook her head. "Such a waste."

"I think that may only have solidified his views. Being the bearer of his family's crest hasn't sat well with him, I think."

Beyond Garreg Mach's walls, the orange of the setting sun was spilling into a spray of mottled purple clouds. The last rays of light sparked off the pool's water like gems. Edelgard had turned to look at the water and it was some moments before she spoke. "How is it that you draw such confidences from people?"

"I haven't a clue. Do you think it's the crest maybe? Does it have some power of charisma?" She tilted her head and regarded Edelgard in a meaningful way, unwilling to speak of their shared crest here where they might be overheard. Because indeed they both bore the Crest of Flames so if anyone might know something about what it meant to bear that crest then it would be Edelgard.

"I suspect that question would be better directed to Professor Hanneman. Although..." She paused and gave Byleth an appraising look. "The day we met I sensed something about you, as if you had an usual aura. I suppose that could have been due to a sort of resonance." _Between our shared crests._ She did not say it aloud, but Byleth could hear the words below the surface.

Her life had changed that day, but it had changed because Sothis had woken within her. She supposed the crest had always been there, dormant, waiting. Was it only because of that crest that she had become who she was here at the academy? Byleth's eyes scanned the surface of the water, growing darker as the light retreated. The pool was artificial of course. It had been created simply to contain the fish and the water they lived in, for the benefit of Garreg Mach's inhabitants. She wondered if she too was like that, only a vessel for the crest's powers and Sothis's presence.

"Do you think that's all it is then?" she said softly, eyes still fixed on the pond.

"All what is?"

Byleth shrugged. "My connection with everyone here, the students, the teachers. You. Is it only the crest's influence then?"

"Professor..." Byleth felt the faintest touch on her shoulder. "No, of course not. The crest may serve to... attract... people to you, but your ability to maintain and deepen those ties is yours alone." When Byleth glanced at Edelgard she found her looking quite flushed. "I promise you that my feelings are not dictated by your crest."

Byleth smiled at her, at least somewhat reassured. "Thank you, Edelgard."

**ooo**

As the pool's water rippled in the evening breeze Byleth reflected on the unease she'd felt that day as she'd contemplated her crest's effect on the people around her. Her unease had only increased after she'd read her father's diary and learned of her unnatural birth, her lack of a heartbeat... her apparent hollowness. Just a container for a crest and for Sothis's power.

Edelgard shifted against her. "You were right, you know, about Sylvain. He's been a staunch supporter of our cause. They all have. Even when you were gone."

"Are you still certain it's not just my crest?" Her arm squeezed Edelgard's shoulders a little more tightly, as if she could draw her near enough to believe that the connection she felt with her was real, was really hers. Not just the resonating of their crests.

"Of course I'm certain." Edelgard raised her head to look up at her. "After everything we've been through can you truly doubt it?" And then, when Byleth didn't answer, "In that case... Professor, if the procedure could be undone and I had the Crest of Flames removed, do you believe it would alter your feelings?"

Byleth's head swivelled to meet Edelgard's pointed stare. "Of course not."

Edelgard peered at her with raised eyebrows. "Then why should you think it any different for me?"

Byleth's free hand came to rest over her heart. She had never told Edelgard about its stillness. She couldn't bear to. To have Edelgard know that she was, perhaps, not quite human, not really alive... She had only told her that Rhea had somehow tampered with her as a baby and that her father carried Rhea's blood. "You were a person already before the procedure. But I..." What had she been? Had she been alive at all? Or just a shell, a failed experiment?

Edelgard took Byleth's face in her hands and forced her to meet her eyes. "You have been my light in the darkness. Nothing can change that."

And if it hadn't been for the war and the looming battle, Byleth would have wrapped Edelgard in her arms and kissed her.

Instead, Byleth rested her forehead against Edelgard's and closed her eyes. "Thank you, El."

#

The days grew colder as the Imperial army marched northward through Faerghus. And as they drew closed to Fhirdiad the tension grew as much as the cold. Moving through Church-aligned territories required that they remain vigilant for pockets of resistance. Above, wyverns and pegasi flew in wide circles, scouting for enemies.

In the centre of a knot of mounted knights who acted as the emperor's retinue, Edelgard rode a sprightly white mare. To her left Hubert sat astride a sleek black mare, like Edelgard's shadow. And to her right, was Byleth on a mottled grey gelding, like a ghost. They often rode that way, their silence growing heavier day by day.

The road had begun to slope upwards. They were just passing a thick copse of trees when a cry of alarm rose from the left flank. And then screams.

"Ambush!"

"Archers!"

Edelgard's retinue drew their blades and tightened their circle around her. Byleth stood in the saddle, her gaze sweeping the area. The left flank of their line was scrambling to turn and face attackers hidden in the copse, raining arrows down on the Imperial troops. Already bodies lay on the ground, immobile or writhing. A few flares of magic followed, scorching the foot soldiers and then another hail of arrows.

Byleth's gaze swivelled to take in all their surroundings–the path behind, choked with troops, the rising road ahead of them, and the craggy rise off to the right, some distance from the road. She found that they were being pushed backwards by Edelgard's retinue who were trying to distance the emperor from the fighting. "Halt!" she commanded. "Stand firm!"

And because on the battlefield, Byleth's commands held as much sway as the emperor's, they did.

Axe already in hand, Edelgard glanced at Byleth who gave a shake of her head. "We're being corralled," Byleth said. She let loose a flare of magic into the sky to signal their scouts. The lead pegasus rider dove and hovered close enough to receive Byleth's orders. Byleth pointed to the ridge on their right. "Get me flyers on that ridge, now! Flush out those trees."

The woman nodded and then in seconds she and her mount were high in the air again, rallying the other flyers. Byleth waited for a minute to see them gather into formation and converge on the ridge. They broke apart again as arrows and magic shot out from the trees. One wyvern shrieked, wing buckling as it spiralled out of the sky and crashed into the ridge.

The arrows were still coming from the copse even as a group of armoured knights converged on the trees. "Keep away from that ridge," Byleth said, turning to Hubert. "I'm going to reinforce the left. There can't be that many of them but they've got cover."

"Professor."

Byleth turned when Edelgard called out to her. She shook her head. "Hang back this time–please. You're the target." She waited a beat until Edelgard gave a curt nod and then she raced to join fray.

#

The skirmish was quick and brutal. The Imperial forces stormed the stand of trees and cut down the archers and mages there. Those that fled met their end when they collided with the mounted forces now surrounding the copse.

When Byleth returned to Hubert and Edelgard, the fighting on the ridge appeared to be over. Smoke rose from the brush and a group of pegasus riders had dismounted and were moving atop the ridge on foot. Hubert's nod confirmed it. It was finished.

Byleth waiting to one side as a scout concluded her report. "And rest of the area is clear with only farmland ahead."

"Good," Edelgard said with a nod. "Then let's see to the wounded and resume our march as soon as possible. We cannot afford further delays."

"Yes, your Highness." The scout bowed and then mounted her pegasus and took to the air.

Edelgard's expression softened when she turned to Byleth. "Well done, Professor. Your foresight saved many lives."

"Yes," Hubert added, "most notably Lady Edelgard's." He jutted his chin towards the ridge. "The group included several mages specializing in long-distance spells. They were waiting for Lady Edelgard to be within range as she would have been had we stepped off the road."

Byleth nodded. "The initial attack was meant to drive us back towards the ridge and into their range. We scouted the road ahead already so they must have taken position overnight and stayed under cover until we arrived."

"It seems you'd anticipated it," Edelgard noted.

"I've had our scouts report on any notable landscape features ahead of our route so this was one of several areas where I was expecting potential attacks. Hills or bluffs above the road are ideal places for an ambush, especially when there's cover. But you know all this," she added with a tiny smile. "As I recall you had top scores on all your tactical exams."

"Your lessons were invaluable, my teacher." A chill breeze made Byleth's cloak flap around her shoulders and Edelgard's eyes shifted to the singed spot on her arm. Her brow creased with concern. "You're injured."

Byleth shook her head. "Just a scratch."

"Even so, please have it seen to. Immediately. We need you."

More than anything, Byleth wanted to reach out and brush her fingers across Edelgard's cheek, to assure her she was well, that she was here and whole. But she knew the importance of reserve before the army, knew Edelgard must project strength at all times during this campaign.

"Hubert," Edelgard said, turning to him, "please accompany the professor and make sure she has her wound tended too."

He bowed his head. "As you wish." He turned his dark mare towards the reserve line, glancing expectantly towards Byleth until she turned her gelding and joined him. It wasn't until they were out of earshot of Edelgard that they spoke again.

"They're getting desperate if they're willing to waste the lives of specialized mages on suicide missions," Byleth noted.

Hubert nodded. "Indeed. But a wild beast is at its most dangerous when cornered."

Byleth glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. "I'm not sure you can corner something like the Immaculate One. She is rather large."

"Which is why it will require all of Lady Edelgard's might to defeat her."

Byleth's hands clenched around her horse's reigns. Soon. They would face Rhea again soon. "She won't be alone." Her horse whickered uneasily and she took a deep breath to steady herself. She glanced at Hubert. "And Edelgard couldn't have two more devoted companions by her side."

Hubert let out a little huff of air, which was about as close as he ever came to laughing.

"Is that funny?" Byleth asked, peering at him.

He remained ramrod straight in the saddle, eyes facing forward as they slowly made their way through the masses of soldiers who waited for the march to resume. "Devoted, you say?"

The wry note in his voice made Byleth bristle. She had risked everything to follow Edelgard and she would do it again in a heartbeat–even if she hadn't one herself. "Hubert, you _know_ I would protect Edelgard with my life."

"I don't deny it. Yet your devotion to Lady Edelgard is different than mine, is it not?" he said archly. He paused then to look pointedly in her direction. "Because you want something in return."

I want _her._ The thought sprang unbidden into Byleth's head and immediately she felt her face growing warm. She was unaccustomed to this. Before Garreg Mach she had never been flustered, or embarrassed, or besotted. She'd never felt much at all. And then Sothis had woken within her and everything had began to change; bit by bit, day by day, the world had grown more vivid around her, and her feelings had blossomed like wildflowers. "What do you mean?"

Hubert snorted. "Really, professor, there's no point in denying it. It became apparent to all of us years ago how much you meant to Lady Edelgard. She could not mask her emotions in the aftermath of your disappearance. And you..." He gave her a hard stare which did not make her face grow any less flushed. "You lack composure where Lady Edelgard is concerned."

Letting her fingers comb through her horse's pale mane, Byleth took several deep breaths to settle herself before she spoke. "If there's something you wish to say, Hubert, please do."

"It was only an observation." A faint smile curled the corners of his lips. "It seems as if you've learned to hold more tightly to your humanity than I had believed possible."

Byleth gave a slow nod. Her humanity. Was she truly human when she carried Sothis's power within her? When it took the place of a real, beating heart? "And I trust you to do what you must if that stops being the case. If... if I ever become a threat to Edelgard." The thought chilled her to the bone.

"Naturally."

"Good. Then I don't have to worry."

#

Night had fallen swiftly and attended with frost. The imperial army had settled in a cluster of ruins that had once been inhabited by the western Church. A crumbling chapel and several charred outbuildings were all that remained of a community wiped out by Rhea's purges after the attack on the Holy Mausoleum.

Though her tent was warm and her bedroll soft, Byleth had found herself unable to settle in for the night. When she'd risen for a walk, her feet had led her to the tumbledown chapel, its red and grey stones heaped into piles where the west-facing wall had collapsed. The wooden timbers of its roof had mostly rotted or been carried away in the five years since the fire that had destroyed it. The arched doorway remained intact and Byleth felt drawn to it. She moved closer, treading carefully with only moonlight and the distant glow of campfires to guide her.

She let her hand rest on the stone, solid in spite of the destruction. Had this place been built to worship Sothis? Or only Seiros? Rhea claimed to know the goddess's will, but the Sothis Byleth had met had never seemed impressed with the Rhea's teachings and with the iron fist with which she ruled Fódlan.

Footsteps approached from behind but Byleth didn't turn; she knew that tread.

"My teacher, are you well?" Edelgard came to a halt next to her, her tone concerned.

"I couldn't sleep. You?"

Edelgard shook her head. "Nor could I." And the, letting out a slow breath, "Faerghus is full of memories."

Byleth tilted her head and tried to read Edelgard's features so full of regret and sadness that Byleth didn't understand. "Bad memories?"

"The bad ones have long since eclipsed any that were good." She sighed. "I shall have to tell you one day about my time there, but this isn't the right moment. We must remain focused on our goal." And before Byleth could voice her agreement, Edelgard was reaching out to touch her arm, the spot where she'd been singed earlier in the day. Even such a simple touch sent a shiver through Byleth's body and made her skin prickle with gooseflesh. "You've been patched up, I see."

"Yes. Not even a scar to add to my collection."

Edelgard quirked an eyebrow. "I should think you have enough of those already."

"Not that many." Byleth smiled, but her hand moved to hover over her unbeating heart where she bore a small white scar that had stretched as she'd aged and grown. It was the only scar whose origin she didn't know, though now, after all she'd learned about Rhea, she could well guess.

"Professor?" Edelgard's brow was furrowed with concern. She reached out but then hesitated, her hand hovering in the air just short of the hand Byleth had pressed to her chest.

Byleth snatched up Edelgard's hesitant hand in her own and squeezed it. Edelgard's hands were so small yet she could wield her axe Aymr effortlessly thanks to the Crest of Flames. Edelgard's crest had caused her unspeakable pain and suffering but it had not taken away her humanity as Byleth's crest had. Edelgard's heart beat like any normal human's did. "It's nothing," Byleth said, even though it was a lie.

Edelgard's gaze came to rest on their joined hands and she let out a long breath. "My teacher... there's something I must speak to you about."

Byleth squeezed her hand. "What's on your mind?"

"It won't be long before we reach the gates of Fhirdiad. And before we confront Rhea again I feel you must know the truth of what you are, of–"

Something in the air shifted, like the charge before a lightning strike, and Byleth dropped Edelgard's hand and drew her sword. "Who's there?"

A figure stepped out from the shadows, his hair and bristling beard starkly white in the darkness. His blank eyes fixed Byleth and Edelgard.

"Thales," Edelgard said, "what are you doing here?" Her voice was as cool and sharp as her blade.

"It is almost time for you to face your final opponent and rid the world of that beast."

Byleth felt every bone in her body quivering with the wrongness of Thales's presence as she always did when she was near those who slithered in the dark. They had murdered her father, experiment on Lysithea and other children in the Empire, were responsible for the death of Edelgard's family, for Remire, Duscar–for countless other unnamed atrocities. And yet here they were, speaking as allies. War made strange and terrible bedfellows.

Edelgard's tone was calm, guarded. "Yes. We'll reach the capital in another two days. Is there something you require of us before then?"

"Lady Edelgard!" Byleth's eyes flitted towards camp. Hubert was moving towards them at a fast clip. "Lady Edelgard, I–" He broke off as he spotted Thales and his features stiffened.

"Yes, Hubert?"

He gave a tiny bow, but his eyes never left Thales. "I was coming to inform you that Lord Arundel is here."

"Thank you, Hubert," she said and turned a hard gaze on Thales. "You were saying?"

The blank eyes came to rest on Byleth, Thales's lips curling into a sneer before he returned his attention to Edelgard. "How long do you intend to make use of that one?" He flicked a hand towards Byleth.

Edelgard's brow furrowed. "The professor is the reason we've come this far. We need her power to overcome Rhea."

"And what then?"

Byleth could feel her pulse thrumming in her ears like war drums. It took all of her will to stay her hand. She wanted to strike him down, to destroy this man or being or whatever he was that had hurt so many she loved. Instead of standing here listening to him question her very right to exist.

"And then," Edelgard said very slowly, "we must see to the unification of Fódlan. We will have much to rebuild."

"That false goddess's power can have no place in that new world." His face contorted into a grimace. "I came to offer you a reminder of just what your _friend_ really is."

Thales raised his hands, palms together and slowly parted them as a purple light began to swirl and grow between them.

Edelgard took a step between him and Byleth. "What are you doing?"

The ball of light flew from his hands. Byleth raised her sword, expecting to block an attack but instead the light struck the ground at her feet and expanded outward.

Its radiance washed over her and turned her blood to fire.

#

Edelgard spun as Byleth's cry reached her ears, followed a moment later by the clatter of her sword as it fell from her hands. The purple glow of Thales's magic enveloped her, and Byleth writhed as it seemed to seep into her very pores. Her eyes glowed with it when she turned her gaze to Edelgard.

Edelgard took a step towards her. "Professor–"

"Stay back," Byleth snarled. Her voice was not her own but deeper and almost metallic.

Dimly, Edelgard registered the telltale sound of warp magic as Thales vanished, his task apparently accomplished. But her eyes never left Byleth. The professor stumbled backwards, through the archway of the crumbling chapel, putting distance between them. Something like a growl poured out of her throat. Terror radiated through Edelgard's veins like nothing she'd felt in years, not since she'd watched the walls of Garreg Mach bury her teacher.

Byleth's eyes flared purple, her pupils transformed into cat-like slits as she turned to Hubert. "Hubert! You must!" she growled. A wave of energy seemed to pulse around her. "Now!"

Edelgard turned in time to see Hubert give a curt nod and then magic flared to life in his palm, a swirling purple blaze. She didn't stop to think. She stepped between him and Byleth, blocking his line of sight. "Hubert no! What are you doing?"

His magic flickered and dimmed. "Lady Edelgard–"

A scream tore from Byleth's throat, morphing into something inhuman–a bellowing roar–as Edelgard watched her dear professor's body disappear in a wash of purple light. It expanded and flashed like a dying star and Edelgard threw up her arm to protect her eyes. Even so, for several seconds she was blinded and could only blink into the night's impenetrable darkness. A monstrous howl filled the space in front of her. When her vision began to clear she could make out an immense form where Byleth had stood moments earlier.

Her innards churned. A demonic beast? Had Thales somehow used the power of a crest stone to transform Byleth into one of his abominations?

Edelgard's stinging eyes watered as she strained to see clearly. The shape before her had a long, armored neck and curved horns like those of her crown. "No," she whispered. "It can't be..."

Squinting she took a step closer. The armoured hide was not white but a verdant green. Like the green of Byleth's eyes. The horned head rose, huge slitted eyes fixing on Edelgard. The creature's jaws parted to reveal a maw that could swallow men whole, and a metallic voice yowled from its throat. "Stay. Back."

Edelgard gasped. "Professor?" She took another faltering step forward. "Byleth? Is that you?"

Hubert's hand clamped around her arm. "Lady Edelgard, we must leave."

She shook him off.

Neck thrashing, the creature backed away until she reached the far wall of the crumbling chapel. One taloned foot came down on a pile of massive stone blocks and crushed them into rubble. A yowl ripped from her throat. The long armored tail flailed back and forth until it collided with the surviving east wall. Hunks of stone flew into the air as the tail crashed through the blocks and masonry as if they were nothing more than wet paper. Her eyes, wide and wild, fixed on Edelgard as she roared, "Stay back!"

Again Hubert tried to interpose himself between Edelgard and the creature that Byleth had become. "I insist, Lady Edelgard. We will need to rally our forces and–"

She spun to face him. "And what?"

His jaw was tight. His eyes darted from Edelgard to the creature. "And... Deal with the situation."

"Would you give up on the professor so easily? After all she's done for us?"

Hubert shook his head. "My duty is to protect you, Your Majesty. Not the professor." And then, with another glance in the creature's direction, "If she has indeed lost her humanity and become like the children of the goddess then you can be certain she would wish for us to extinguish her life–such as it is."

Edelgard felt as if Faerghus's winter had descended upon her like a sudden frost, killing all that had been verdant and alive only moments ago. "If we are to face the Immaculate One we will need her. And the professor chose us. She chose us over the children of the goddess." Her eyes turned to the reptilian thing that was her teacher. "She is not lost to us, Hubert. Not yet." When he looked like he was going to protest Edelgard drew herself up and gave her most imperious stare. "Thales said he wished to _remind_ us. He did not come here to kill the professor but rather to undermine our trust in her while he still has the chance. I will not allow him to do so. Please Hubert, keep the others away and allow me to handle this."

He gave her a long look, his expression as fathomless as the night sky. And then finally he bowed. "As you wish, Lady Edelgard."

"Thank you, Hubert," she said, her voice full of gratitude.

He gave a curt nod and set a course for the cluster of soldiers who were already headed in their direction, drawn by the noise of the creature's thrashing. Edelgard watched him go and then gave herself a moment to take in a long breath and calm the slamming heartbeat rattling against her ribs.

Edelgard's eyes fell on the pale length of Byleth's sword that still lay on the ground where she'd dropped it. She knelt to retrieve the Sword of the Creator. If things had gone according to her uncle's plan, she would have been the sword's owner, though she could never have wielded its full power without the crest stone. But those who slither in the dark had had no way of anticipating Byleth.

As Edelgard reached for the hilt, she was struck by a feeling of familiarity, like the strange aura she had sense around Byleth the day they'd met. She hesitated for only a moment and then her gloved hand wrapped around the hilt for the first time.

Her heart leaped. Just as it had when Byleth had taken her hand. The feeling was somehow... the same. Holding the Sword of the Creator felt like holding some small piece of Byleth.

It was at once unsettling and comforting.

Sword in hand, Edelgard stepped through the chapel archway. Backed up against the surviving wall, the creature–Byleth–moved her long neck from side to side in a serpentine rhythm, looking through gaps in the surviving stonework towards the imperial army's camp. Purple light still flared around her huge reptilian eyes. Her sides heaved with rapid breaths that turned to gouts of steam.

"Professor!" Edelgard called.

The reptilian head swivelled. The eyes widened.

And then Byleth's long neck arced towards the sky and her jaws parted to let loose a roar the shook the chapel's stones. Words tumbled out from between the spear-like fangs like shards of metal. "Stay... back."

"I have brought you your sword, Professor."

Byleth's talons curled, gouging deep grooves into the chapel's paving stones. Her horned head dipped, eyes fixing on the sword in Edelgard's hand. Byleth's sides began to heave quickly, her nostrils flaring as her breath came in heavy pants. She backed away from Edelgard, one pace, then another, her hind limb striking the far wall of the chapel, making the stones shudder. Her tail jerked to one side, sending a heap of rubble flying into the air. Edelgard sidestepped to avoid a fist-sized hunk of stone hurtling towards her face. She held tight to the Sword of the Creator, its warmth spilling into her palm as if she were still holding Byleth's hand in hers.

"Professor!" she called out again. "Please! Calm yourself!"

"Stay away!" Byleth roared, her breath like a hot wind that tousled Edelgard's hair and made her cloak dance.

"My teacher, please. You've fought off such evil magic before. Five years ago you returned from the darkness. I know you can find yourself once again."

"My... self?" A keening wail poured out of Byleth's scaled throat. "I am... the same." Her tail thudded hard against the floor, pulverizing the stones and raising a cloud of thick dust. "I carry her blood... from my father." Her head dropped and her tail curled in, slapping hard against her scaled body. "I am the same as her."

Steeling herself, Edelgard took a step forward. "The same as who?"

Byleth's reply came out like a snarl that reverberated through her chest and made the air around them tremble. "Rhea."

Steel-cold anger lanced through Edelgard at the name. Rhea who had caused so much suffering in Fódlan, who had hidden the truth from its people and fed them lies. Who had taught them to hate the outside world. Who had tried to make Byleth her pawn.

"My teacher..." Edelgard took another step closer but as she did Byleth seemed to curl in on herself, her limbs and tail coiling around her reptilian body. "We are also the same."

A huff of air spouted from Byleth's nostrils but she remained otherwise still. Edelgard took another step closer.

"I bear the crest of Seiros, like all the emperors of Adrestia. So I, too, have the blood of Seiros in my veins. And I bear the Crest of Flames as you do–even though neither of us was meant to."

Edelgard took another long step towards Byleth, pausing so the sword's tip was just out of reach of Byleth's hide. She held out her free hand and conjured the Crest of Flames, just as she had all those years ago at the monastery when she had first revealed her secret to Byleth. It flickered in her palm, a purple light giving shape to the power that resided in Edelgard's blood. "This crest... we are the only two to have carried it in a thousand years."

Byleth's slitted eyes swivelled and fixed on the flickering image of the crest. Her breaths slowed, flanks rising and falling at a steady rhythm. The purple light of Thales's magic still danced around the edges of Byleth's eyes, but with the Sword of the Creator warm and solid in Edelgard's hand, she was certain of what she needed to do.

"This sword... it's a part of you, isn't it?"

Edelgard erased the distance between herself and Byleth's reptilian form. She stood before the coiled tail that could crush her and the horned head cowering behind it. She held up the Sword of the Creator, mindful that a flick of the wrist could make the notched spine of the sword extend, whip-like, and gently pressed the flat of the blade against Byleth's scales.

A shudder ran through Byleth's body. She squeezed her slitted eyes shut and groaned. Edelgard held herself perfectly still though her heart galloped in her rib cage. The Sword of the Creator seemed almost to hum in her hands. She forced herself to take deep breaths and hold the blade still against Byleth's body.

An age passed, it seemed, but finally Byleth's eyes opened again. They were the same vibrant green as they had been since the day Byleth had emerged from the darkness. The purple light of Thales's magic had left them.

And then Edelgard reached out and pressed her palm against Byleth's snout. Her scales were surprisingly smooth and radiated heat. "Please, Byleth, come back to me."

There was a long exhalation, the hot wind of Byleth's breath enveloping Edelgard. A sort of energy prickled her skin, raising gooseflesh on her arms and then a blinding flash of light sundered the darkness for the second time that night. Blinded, Edelgard was forced to stand still and wait for her night vision to return, though she could no longer feel Byleth's shape beneath her fingers and she yearned to look for her.

When Edelgard could finally see again, she discerned a heap on the stone floor. A human shape curled in on itself, hair pale in the darkness. Edelgard raced to Byleth's side. She set the Sword of the Creator down and reached out to gather Byleth into her arms, holding her body against her chest.

Byleth groaned and opened her eyes. Her pupils were huge and round. They were human.

Relief washed through Edelgard like a riptide, making her smile and give Byleth a tight squeeze.

When Byleth spoke, her voice was hoarse. "Why did you stay? I was afraid I'd hurt you."

Edelgard shook her head. "My teacher... I couldn't just abandon you. I had to try to undo what Thales had done to you."

Byleth must still have been feeling weak because she made no move to get up. "The confusion was his doing but the form..." She shook her head and her expression was a mask of anger... and something else. Shame, Edelgard thought, as Byleth tilted her face away. "It was me."

"Professor..."

"Rhea and I _are_ the same. It's not just her blood–I also have the goddess's power." She raised her eyes to meet Edelgard's. "Can you hate the goddess and–and _care_ for her vessel?"

"Can you? For someone who carries the blood of Nemesis?" Edelgard shook her head. "Professor, we were always meant to be enemies." Edelgard's arms tightened around Byleth. "But you are more than just a vessel, my teacher. You have always been more than that." And when Byleth tried to look away, Edelgard placed a hand on her cheek and gently pushed her face back towards her. "We are also the same. And at the Holy Tomb you chose me." Edelgard gazed into those eyes she loved so. Though they had changed, and though she'd feared that change would take Byleth away from her, now they were a place of rest, a place of comfort in the tumult of war. "And given the choice, I will always choose you as well."

Byleth closed her eyes for a moment and let out a long breath. "Thank you." But then her eyes sprang open and she pushed herself into a sitting position, her eyes wide. "Thales–where did–is he–"

"He's gone," Edelgard said, the edge to her voice unmistakable.

"I see." Byleth set her jaw, but Edelgard could see the anger in the lines of her mouth and brow.

"We will continue to need his support for now but I promise you, once we defeat Rhea we _will_ crush those who slither in the dark. Fódlan cannot truly be free until we do."

"But one enemy at a time," Byleth said with a nod. She clasped her sword and then together they rose to their feet. Edelgard reached for Byleth when the professor wobbled for a moment as if she'd forgotten how to move about on two legs. "I'm all right," she assured Edelgard.

"Good. Then we should go find Hubert and tell him he doesn't need to–" She paused and went on in her best Hubert voice, "Extinguish your life." Edelgard shook her head. "Did the two of you discuss this beforehand? Was your transforming into a monster a scenario you envisioned?"

Byleth shrugged. "Not precisely, but..." Her brow furrowed as she raised the Sword of the Creator and let her eyes rest on the blade for several beats. When she turned her gaze back to Edelgard there was a slump to her shoulders and she looked resigned somehow. "I'm not quite human. I–I've known it for some time now. And in case something happened, in case I became a danger to you and the others, I needed to know someone would stop me."

Edelgard huffed. "I wish you and Hubert would stop keeping secrets from me."

Byleth tilted her head, appearing perplexed. "It's not the sort of thing I could ask you to do."

"That's not the point. You–" She sighed. "Never mind. We'll reach Fhirdiad soon. We've no more time for distractions. We must present a united front against the Church and against our... _allies_." The word dripped from her lips like venom. Those who slither in the dark were as much a poison as the children of the goddess. Both groups had manipulated the people of Fódlan for long enough. It was time for humanity to reclaim this world and be masters of their own fates.

"I'll be ready," Byleth said with a nod. She slipped her sword back into her belt but left her hand resting on pommel. "But I need to know. Are you certain?"

"About..."

"About me," Byleth whispered.

Edelgard moved to stand before Byleth. "I could not be more certain of anything." She looked into Byleth's eyes, held her gaze with unblinking determination. "We are more than our crests, more than our blood, more than the fate others chose for us. This is the path we've cut for ourselves." She held her hand out to Byleth. "Will you walk this path to the end with me?"

For a moment Byleth was still. Her lips curved into a smile. Her eyes met Edelgard's and this time Byleth did not turn away.

Finally, Byleth reached out and took her hand. "I will."

Even with her gloves, Edelgard could feel the warmth of Byleth's hand in her palm. And that steady gaze made her heart beat a little faster. She didn't know what they would face in Fhirdiad, but she was certain she could face anything as long as Byleth strode alongside her.

**The End**


End file.
